Vegan Crescent Rolls

I dream of soft, fluffy vegan crescent rolls fresh from the oven that I can tear open with my fingers, watch as the smoke dissipates right before my eyes, slather with a dab of vegan butter and raspberry jelly, and then take a huge bite of…now doesn’t that sound like heaven?

And after making these vegan crescent rolls I definitely was in heaven. Because not only are they are easy to make and impossibly elegant to look at, they are, of course, 100 percent vegan.

As flaky as these rolls are, don’t mistake them for their richer French cousins, the incredibly delicious croissants, which contain far more fat and are more puff-pastry-like in the way they’re made. These are regular rolls that shaped like crescents and they are not just great for breakfast but great at just about any time of day.

Go ahead and try them next time you have some time on your hands. And if you make them the previous day, just pop them into an oven for a few minutes to freshen them up. This recipe makes 16 rolls and since it’s usually just Desi and I who get to eat them all, I keep them in the refrigerator for days in an airtight plastic bag.

Mix the yeast and water in a bowl and let stand for at least five minutes until the yeast is frothy and bubbly.

Add the soymilk, oil, sugar and salt and mix by hand or on low speed in the stand mixer for no more than a minute.

Add three cups of the all purpose flour and then add more gradually until you get a dough that's moist but not sticky.

Knead for 10 minutes by hand or on medium-low speed on the stand mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, turn over once to coat the top with oil, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled, around 1½ hours.

Now punch the dough down and divide into two equal parts. Shape each into a smooth ball and then roll each out to a diameter of about 10-12 inches. If the dough is too resistant, let it relax for a couple of minutes, then try again.

With a pizza cutter, cut eight wedges, as you would a pizza.

Take one wedge, brush the top with a little oil, and then, using your fingers, roll from the broader edge toward the tip, forming a crescent shape. Once you've formed the roll, tuck the ends downward to form the crescent.shape.

Shape all 16 wedges into crescents, placing them at least an inch or two apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the rolls with some oil or with a mixture of soymilk and oil, and allow them to stand, covered loosely with a napkin, until they've doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours.

Bake the rolls in a preheated 425-degree oven about 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden-brown.

Serve fresh or preheat in the oven if serving leftover rolls.

Enjoy!

3.5.3208

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If it’s a whole wheat version you want, check out my all-whole-wheat crescent rolls.

Comments

Vaishali, these rolls do look heavenly, especially as you said with some butter and jelly. Can I substitute regular milk instead of soy for this one?Also, wish you and Desi and all your lovely pets a very happy and prosperous New Year. 🙂

Jaya, A very happy new year to you. And yes, you could certainly use milk (although you’d make me so much happier if you used soymilk!) 🙂

Mints, Thanks– hope you like them!

Ms. Chitchat, thanks!

Shreya, a very happy new year to you, my dear. And I’d love some mango jam now!

Voracious– you’re really kind! Thanks!

Bangalorebaker, Laavanya, Thanks!

Maya, yes, you can substitute half the all-purpose with whole-wheat pastry flour or a third with regular whole wheat. More whole-wheat flour would make the rolls too dense and pastry flour is low on gluten so the dough would be difficult to work with if you used too much of it. Does that help?

Happy New Year to you and your family Vaishali! These rolls look yummy. Will have to give a try some day. Your blog is the first I check if I am in need of a recipe. Recently I baked cinnamon rolls and used your recipe. I am not very good with baking yet it turned out good. Though not a healthy snack it tasted less unhealthy than the mall ones :). Thanks!

Hey Vaishali , its been great knowing you , your family of pets and your candid thoughts on so many subjects this last year..Hope you continue to do so in the new year . All my best wishes to you and yours.

Hi, I tried these rolls and they were good…except they didn’t brown like your picture…my rolls were dark on the bottom and a pale brown on the top…They did taste great…Can you suggest what went wrong ?? Do I have to turn them half-way during baking ??

Anonymous, here’s my first thought: did you brush them with oil or with the oil-soymilk mixture? That makes all the difference.Also, sometimes the baking sheet you use can make a huge difference in the color of your finished product and the time it takes to bake. A darker cookie sheet, for instance, would result in a darker roll.If you find you still don’t get the desired color, try also brushing the rolls with oil once halfway through baking.

I tried baking them day before yesterday, and after many failures at baking this was my first success, and I was thrilled, excited and could not stop looking at the rolls. I realized that the problem is not my old traditional oven, but the yeast quality. As you rightly said that there is nothing great than having a bite of freshly home baked rolls. Million thanks to you.

Made this crescent rolls…and they were delicious!!!…. I even post them in my FB and give your website…one thing though…you have to eat them when they are fresh from the oven, otherwise they become a bit chewy ..i..since I love them I put them in the toaster for a few seconds and they were still good..my husband eat half of them when they were fresh with a salad for lunch…. lwill definitely make them again.

Hello! These look amazing but it doesn’t say how much flour? Can you tell us please? Thanks! I think my kids would like these better than the whole wheat to begin with;-)
BEAUTIFUL site and recipes – printing off a gazillion of them!
Cherie

Thank you! I’m making them this weekend:-)
Side note – does anyone have any secrets to vegan baking at altitude? I live at 7400′ and have a hard time getting things cooked in the middle and not too brown on top. Regular baking is difficult enough but I find vegan baking more so w/out the eggs.
Pointers anyone?!